Discuss the extent to which rapid economic growth in India and China is beneficial.

Crime could also lessen as people lower down the social order such as the working class would earn enough removing the incentive to steal.

On the other hand, rapid economic growth has caused many negative consequences in India and China, particularly for the rural parts. Rapid economic growth has led to increased inequality in both countries. In China, the incomes of the east which is mainly urban are more than twice as much as those of the west. This is mainly due to corruption and an unfair tax system. Governmental policies mean that the money does not get distributed well enough  meaning those in the rural parts of the country see no improvement in services like education and healthcare, whereas in the urban parts there is significant improvement in things like infrastructure.  In India the caste system is a form of discrimination which is leading to people being entrapped in a cycle of debt, because only certain groups of people are allowed to have good jobs. This means that whilst those higher up in the heirachy are able to benefit from this development, others remain poor.

There are also many environmental costs associated with rapid economic growth, as it sees a rise in productivity. This means that companies produce more which could have a negative effect on the environment through pollution, as poisonous and greenhouse gases are emmited, and waste is dumped. This leads to negative externalities which could have an effect on the economy, through the cost of clearing up the mess.

Overall  it could be said that economic growth is desirable because the advantages are of greater importance in the long term. Higher stadards of living could attract more skilled workers and foreign direct investment from abroad further increasing our task force. The main reason it is desirable because of the fact that the government can increase the retirement age receiveing more income from taxes and cuts in expenditure in pensions which removes this opportunity cost, and allows more money to be spent in improving services in the west. Although environmental issues with growth are important, the Chinese and Indian governments are introducing measures to regulate measures and many are working on introducing new technology making this a mere short term issue. Although there is increased inequality, it is likely that in the future corruption will be removed as this is preventing China and India from reaching true super power status. Inequality needs to be looked at in great detail, however it is likely that the principle aim of the governments is to achieve economic growth, and ethical concerns may not be of a priority.